Improvement in dredging-machines



J. MENGE. Dredging-Machine.

No. 599,305. Patented Jan.15,1878.

WITNESS-ES,- I JVEN UF N,FEI'ERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D G.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Josnrn MENGE, or POINT MICHEL, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DREDGlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,305, datedJanuaryl5, 1878; application filed October 1, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPn MENGE, a resident of Point Michel, parish ofPlaquemine and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Dredging-Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and correct description of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain new improvements in dredging-machines,the nature of which will be readily understood by referringto theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofa boat provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevationthereof; Fig. 3, a section of the discharge carrier, and Fig. 4 adetached view of one of my improved buckets.

On the drawings, A represents a boat with outward-projecting timbers Band frame 0. The bottom of the former and top piece of the latter formbearings for the reception of the vertical journals d of a swingingframe, E, in which is journaled a horizontal shaft, F, withoutward-projecting end, which is connected, by means of a doubleuniversal joint, with a driving-shaft, G. The aforesaid joints consistin a pair of metal frames, to a, and of four yokes, b b b" b the former,b, secured to the projecting end of the shaft F, and the latter to theinner end of the drivingshaft G, the connection being made by a squareshaft, 0, that is constructed on the yoke b, and which is made to fit ina square hole in the center of the yoke b.

Pivoted to the sides of the swinging frame E, on a line with its shaftF, or a little above the same, is a bucket-frame formed of two pieces,(1 d, with rollers 6 between, and with a drum, f, journaled at thebottom thereof. Between the upper ends of this frame, and keyed orotherwise rigidly secured to the shaft F, is a pair of chain-wheels, g9, over which is operated the endless chains 71. h, provided with aseries of improved buckets, the same consisting of sections K K,connected on each side by links '5 i, and provided with a pivotedbottom, 1, which is tilted forward by the opening of the sections, asshown in Fig. 4, the object being to avoid the formation of a vacuum inthe rear of the excavations, and hence facilitate the discharge of thesame.

In' addition to the aforesaid-improvement, this bucket possesses twoother important features, one being inthe flattening of a certainportion of the cutting-edge, as shown, in order that when operating instifi ground the same may be the more readily freed, owing to itstendency to ride upward on the curved surfaces of the bucket. I

The third novel feature relates to the manner in which the buckets aresecured to their chains, the forward ends being provided with two ormore straps for the reception of a round bar, m, the ends of which areflattened and perforated, in order that they may be secured to theoperating-chains. The rear ends are connected, by a couple of straps, a,to a connecting-bar, o, the said straps made sufficiently long to permitthe bar to move freely back and forth therein, thus obviating theotherwise hard and stiff working of the chains, and allowing the bucketsto move with perfect freedom around the periphery of the drum andchain-wheels.

In order that the listing of the boat caused by the swinging of thebucket-frame to either side may not result in a greater depth of diggingnearer the sides than center of the canal, I secure to the side piecesof the bucket-frame a pair of standards, and provide the lower ends ofeach with friction-rollers p, for operating on the curved tracks q of aplate, 4", the latter secured to thelower ends of a pair of levers, s s,which are pivoted on a line with the prolongation of the center of thedrivingshaft. The lower ends of these levers are provided with curvedplates t, which are either perforated, as shown, so as to be held in agiven position by means of pins, or else provided with racks, so thatthe same may be raised or lowered by means of a pinion or train ofgearmg.

Uis a' carrier for conveying the excavations as rapidly as they dropthereupon to one side of the boat, and depositing the same in a barge oron an embankment, as the exigencies of the case may require. Thiscarrier consists of a frame, the sides of which are connected by bracesand by rollers 11. Over the latter operates a pair of endless chains, onwhich are secured a numbef of overlapping plates, w, each with turn-upedges or, rather, ends as, so as to prevent the material from runningover the same.

By reason of the overlapping of the plates,

' as above described, the carrier is rendered almost, if not perfectly,watertight; and, as it is suspended in an inclined position, the gravityof the material deposited thereupon will be sufficient to operate itwithout the aid of any connecting machinery.

For the purpose of digging a canal with curved bottom, the deepestportion of which shall be in the center thereof, it is only necessary togive the outer ends of the tracks an upward curve, as shown in dottedlines at y.

I do not here claim the construction of the universal joints described,as the same will be made the subject of a separate application forLetters Patent.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A dredge-bucket provided on one side with a triangularly shapedflattened surface,

.two of the sides of which terminate in the rounded portion of thebucket, while the remaining side forms the cutting edge thereof,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improved means herein described for attaching the buckets totheir chains, the same consisting of the straps z and rounded shaft m,and of the elongated straps n, in which is gttied a cross-bar, as andfor the purpose speci- 3. In a dredging-machine, the tracks q q, curvedin reverse directions, over which the bucket-frame operates, asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The dischargecarrier, composed of frame U, provided with rollers 12,over which operate two or more endless chains provided withoverlapping-plates w, as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH MENGE.

